The Congress on Thursday said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was playing a "major role" in many ways within the party and would continue to do so, but asserted that this should not be seen as an indication that she would contest elections.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she would hold a meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday, but the Teesta river water sharing issue would not be discussed.

In his letter to Modi, Odisha CM Naveen Pattnaik said population of the state is increased by 10.22 per cent as compared to 2011. To bring the increased population under the food security act, the Centre has to approve it.

There has been over 300 per cent increase in the incidents of cross-border firing along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir this year so far, leading to maximum deaths and injuries to BSF personnel in the last five years, an official data said.

A mid-air disaster was averted last week when an IndiGo plane which was on a collision course with an Indian Air Force (IAF) in Chennai airspace steered away to safety following an auto-generated warning, a source said.

The home minister has expressed satisfaction over the ground report of relative calm in the state, the official said, adding there was a possibility that the measure may be extended if the incidents of violence came down.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy will face a floor test on Friday which he is widely expected to sail through, barring any unforeseeable events, ending the 10-day political uncertainty in the state.

​A home ministry spokesperson said the directive has been given at a high-level meeting which took stock of the progress of construction of border fencing, roads and outposts along India's borders with neighbouring countries.